The Legend of Ember
by vitani333
Summary: A story that takes place in an Alternate universe to TLOS and The Originals. It's all about accepting those you wouldnt expect to like, and learning sometimes you have to make great sacrifices...
1. Acceptance

Chapter 1- Acceptance

Ember sighed. The adult dragoness walked slowly through the field, swaying her tail topped with a razor sharp, heart-shaped blade. She shook her head, the chain around her neck holding her locket clinking loudly. Looking up at the bright, cloudless sky with aqua eyes, she sighed again.. Ember slumped down in the tall, itchy grass. She laid her head down comfortably, feeling the warmth of the sun on her pink scales. Her sad, gloomy-doomsday expression slid slowly off her face, being replaced with a slight smile. Oh, how she loved spring in the dragon realms. She rolled over on her back and flexed her wings out to their full span, a good twelve feet. A huge grin then stretched across her face as she reached for a flower. She carefully picked it, being careful not to rip the stem. She set it down on her chest and stared at it.

"Hey... hey... Ember!" A feminine voice sung. Ember scrambled to her feet, whipping her head around, searching for the source of the voice. Another voice, this one lower, but still female, called out for her.

"Ember! Where are you, sis?" Ember, though she didn't know where, knew who the voices were. She looked up, then, and saw Cynder and Flame* perched up in a tree, with Cheshire cat grins on their slender faces. Flame then slithered down the tree and sat beside her sister.

"So... what were you doin' down there in the grass?" She asked, eyebrows raised in curiosity. Ember shifted her feet and looked into her sister's piercing glare, and gladly stated her response.

"I was enjoying the spring, that's all" Flame, looking a bit disappointed, looked up at the sky for a moment, then quickly changed the subject.

"Well.." She said, eyes still on birds passing overhead, "Why don't we practice our fighting skills? Now that ole Malefor is back, we may have to fight any day.." Ember sighed. Malefor. The Dark Master. Spyro and Cynder's efforts hadn't paid off. When they were trying to keep the Destroyer from completing its fiery path around the world, Malefor escaped. She looked over at Cynder with a slight frown. Cynder was her friend, true, but Ember still, in her heart, couldn't forgive her for being Spyro's mate. But Ember let that go long ago… Cynder blinked and leaped down from her perch.

"Is something wrong, Ember? Do you want to practice?" She said soothingly. Ember looked her in the eye and loosened her expression.

"Of course, Cyn, of course…" She said with a sight sigh. Both her companions looked at her with a confused look, but Flame suddenly slammed the ground with her foot and said

"So, why don't we get started?"

Both Ember and Cynder nodded. As soon as Flame got the cue, she burst into the air, flapping her golden wings rapidly. She spun around and faced the two other females, hovering.

"You gonna strut your stuff or what?" Both Ember and Cynder looked at each other. Sighing, Cynder leaped up into the sky and spread her crimson wings, the bright morning sun reflecting off her black scales. Ember watched as her two friends warmed up, doing skydives and barrel rolls to get their blood pumping. She grinned and ran forwards with great speed. Spreading her wings, she quickly become airborne. Air rushing across her face, the dragoness flapped her pastel pink wings, soaring high in the sky, doing loop-de-loops, corkscrews, back-flips, and more. Finally Flame halted to a stop, carefully flapping to keep her hovering in a single spot. She coughed and said, heaving

"Okay… let's get some mana gems.." As if waiting, Cynder darted through the air, scanning for the bright green crystals that give dragons their magic. Both Ember and Flame followed in suit. Ember looked around, trying to locate one for herself. She could already see Flame soaring down towards a cluster at the edge of a stream. Cynder was circling in the sky as if she might have seen some, too. Peering down, Ember then saw a huge globule of lime-colored gems, slightly pulsating with light. Diving down faster than she could have imagined, she reached the grand rocks. Fluttering down carefully, she landed beside them. With sudden power, Ember violently attacked the crystals. Biting, clawing, bashing, anything it took to smash it up. With every strike, pieces flew off and were magnetized to her body, and disappeared into her on impact. Now feeling energized, Ember tested it out. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth, a lightning bolt leaping from her. It had been a while since she practiced her electricity powers. She grinned and took to the sky again, landing next to Cynder and Flame.

Without a word, Flame sent an impressive flame spewing from her mouth. Cynder nodded, then sat there silently. Both Ember and Flame glared at her.

"Well.." Ember began "Are you going to show us something?" Cynder, startled, said

"Oh! Right, it's my turn. I thought it was Embers, sorry.." She explained. She nodded at the other two, and sent a black flame slowly swirling into the air. Quickly she spun around and formed a tornado around herself, swirling about. It died down rather quickly, Cynder becoming more and more visible by the second. Finally it stopped, Cynder not the least bit dizzy at all. Ember, knowing it was not her turn, set to impress her sister and friend. She flapped her wings, raising her slightly into the air. She then sent huge bolts of lightning streaming over the dragoness' heads. Both Cynder and Flame ducked, even though they knew Ember was in full control. Ember floated back down, landing softly on the ground.

"Well, what are we gonna do now?" she laughed. They all looked around at each other and grinned. Three very different dragonesses. And they all accepted each other.

***You may be thinking "WHUT?? But… Flame is a boy!!" Yes, he is, BUT in this story, he's a female and Ember's sister, to eliminate people saying "Well, Ember could always have Flame be her mate!" It's vital to the plot for Ember to be in love with Spyro... you'll get it in the last chapter *wink***

**Also, note that in this Universe, the end of DotD played out differently. Spyro and Cynder were about to defeat the DM when they dropped everything and destroyed the Destroyer, so the World didn't break apart. But as a result, the DM escaped, but went into hiding until recently.**


	2. Heartache

Chapter 2- Heartache

It was now dusk. Ember, Flame, and Cynder has spent a day practicing their fighting skills. They even took it to the next level, and ran around killing small animals that, according to Master Terrador, were over-populated and a menace. They retired at sundown, and spent the evening gossiping and telling stories. Finally it became too dark, and Flame didn't have enough Mana to keep their candles going. At last, they returned to the temple, a good hour's flight from the meadows. There Ember lay in a small room she claimed as her own. It was stashed with treasures, such as golden goblets, jewelry of all sorts, coins, and a couple small statures of famous dragons carved out of gems. There was one in particular Ember treasured, a large chunk of a fury gem cut to the shape of a young dragon. It was a statue of Spyro.

Ember has loved Spyro ever since she met him, right after he and Cynder stopped the Destroyer. However, Spyro's heart was set on only Cynder. She and Spyro did build a good friendship, but Ember knew that was the most it would ever become. She refrained from ever mentioning it to Spyro, in fear he wouldn't want to be around her anymore. She held her stature close, examining every little part. She had tried working on it some herself. Whoever made it didn't get the horns right, but Ember didn't know how to properly carve a gem usually used for its magical abilities without breaking it or accidentally absorbing it. She placed it gently on a gold-plated pedestal, in front of several other crystal dragons. She lied down next to a large pile of coins, and draped a soft cloth blanket over herself. She stared at a few stars through a small crack in the ceiling. Drooping her eyes, she tried to make out what constellation was above her, but she gave way to the drowsiness, and drifted off to sleep.

Ember awoke the next morning to the sound of claws against coins. She lifted her head slowly, and three figures came into focus. Cynder and Flame were standing in the doorway, and another dragon was in front of them, standing on a small mound of jewels and metal. His purple scales reflected the morning sun like water, illuminating the room with a soft purple glow. Spyro spoke.

"Ember! You're awake.. Thank the ancestors. We've been trying for almost five minutes to wake you up, I finally had to.. Wait, I'm getting off-topic. Anyways, Happy Birthday!" Ember's eyes shot open. Lifting her head, she could see that another figure behind Flame and Cynder. Master Volteer stood behind them, holding a golden box in his mouth. Ember squealed with joy.

"Oh, I had forgotten! I thought my birthday was next week.. oh, thank you Spyro! Thank you Cynder! Thank you sooo much Flame… and thank you, dad!" She looked over at Volteer. The older dragon stepped between Cynder and Flame, and strode past Spyro. He gently set the golden box down in front of Ember.

"To you, beloved daughter, for your Twenty-Third Birthday!" He said gleefully. Ember peered down at the present, and delicately removed the lid. Inside sat a gleaming silver statute of a dragoness with lightly curved horns, a cheerful smile, and a heart-shaped blade on her tail. Ember let out a gasp.

"It's me! It even has…spirit gem eyes! Oh, thank you, father!" She cried joyfully. She nuzzled her father. Behind them, Spyro cleared his throat. Both Ember and Volteer turned around and looked at him.

"I'm very, very sorry to interrupt, but I have to get going soon, to train some young dragon whelps. Before I go, though, I have to give you my present, Ember." Ember looked at him and nodded. Spyro turned around and picked up a small object that nearly blended in with all of the treasure staked around the room. It was an all-new locket! It looked nearly identical to the one she already had, except it was slightly larger, and instead of a bright red, polished rock, it was a shimmering ruby. Also, it was in mush better condition that the one from Ember's childhood. Spyro help one end in his mouth, and Volteer picked up the other end. Flame removed the old locket, and placed it gently on the pedestal with the crystal dragons. Spyro and Volteer placed the heart on her chest, then brought the chain around and clipped it together in the back. Ember looked down happily at her gift, and looked to her friends and family. She thanked them, and with that Spyro left to go teach lessons, Volteer to study, and Flame to get some breakfast. Only Cynder remained.

"Happy Birthday, Ember. I helped your father make that statue… I hope you like it!" she said, smiling. Ember looked at her and nodded.

"It's lovely. Thank you." She said a gracious tone in her voice. With that, Cynder backed out of the room and ran down the hall, probably going to go catch up with Spyro. Ember let out a deep sigh. When Spyro told her he has a gift for her, her heart soared, and she hoped it would be a kiss or the sort. But the new locket was just fine. She loved it with all her heart.

An hour or so later, it was Ember's turn to teach young dragons to use their magic properly. She was in front of a group of golden colored whelps, all looking up at her with gleaming eyes. One of them, a male, called from the back,

"Hey! Weren't we s'posed ta get an electwic dragon fo' our teacher?" A murmur of agreement swept through the class. Ember sighed and let a few sparks fly from her mouth. This quieted the class.

"Any questions?" She asked. She got no reply. She then began.

She gave them all some mana, and began with the basics. The class had some trouble getting the hang of things, so she didn't get as far as she wished. She only managed to teach them full electric bolts, and began with electric orbs when the time came for them to go. The little whelps all ran from the classroom. Ember sighed with relief. What a bunch… Her stomach growling, Ember decided to go get something to eat. Perhaps they have some sheep up in the dining hall, she thought. As she rounded the corner and began to climb the stairs, she heard Spyro's voice from behind her.

"Hey, birthday girl.. can I talk to you?" Ember whipped her head around. An uneasy feeling aroused in her stomach. She croaked a reply,

"Sure, Spyro.." The male dragon nodded, and motioned for her to follow him. He walked out onto a balcony, and took flight. Ember followed in suit. They flew down to a river the temple overlooked. There they landed, and Spyro sat down, crossing his front legs.

"Ember, listen. I know how you feel about me."

Ember's stomach went cold. Her eyes widened. Not knowing what else to say, she blurted,

"What? What you m-mean, Spyro?"

Spyro stared at her, sighing. He walked over closer to her.

"I know you love me."

Ember gave up. Hanging her head low she muttered,

"Yeah... I do… I'm sorry, Spy, I can't help it…"

Spyro nuzzled her gently, to comfort her.

"But you know I love Cynder, right?"

A tear rolling down her cheek, Ember nodded.

"Yes… I do. And I accept that. But I cant get over it, Spyro. I've loved you ever since I first met you. I knew we could never be with each other, but I still long for it…"

Looking into Ember's eyes, Spyro spoke with a calming voice,

"I do have to say... you have beautiful eyes. But Cynder is my mate. I'm sure you'll meet the right guy at some point." The purple dragon turned and started to walk away, but glanced back at Ember one more time.

"You know I mean it, right? We will still always be friends, no matter what. But it can never go farther than that."

Ember understood. She watched as the male flew off. Ember stayed there, the mid-day sun drying her tears. No matter what Spyro said, she'd always feel the same way. She'd always have a heartache.


	3. Desire

Chapter 3- Desire

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Thanks for checking this story out! I finally came up with a better name... Ember's Tale was epic fail. It's now the Legend of Ember :3**

**Enjoy the Third Chapter! Sorry that it's kinda shorter..**

"Ember," Flame said, a worried tone in her voice, "You haven't touched your dinner. Are you sure you're okay?" Ember nudged the lightly grilled lamb in a bed of vegetables before her. She sighed and pushed it away.

"I'm not hungry right now..." She said, voice low with agony. She backed up, away from the dining table, and walked off. Flame heaved and followed her. As she rounded the corner, Flame saw her sister almost dragging herself down the stairs. She trotted over to her and nudged her gently.

"Ember... What happened? Do you want to talk about it? Talking always helps..." Flame looked into sister's sky blue eyes, dim with sorrow. Ember stared at the ground blankly. She knew Spyro didn't love her. So why was she acting up like this? Even she didn't know. Probably, it was the saddening reminder that she had nobody to love. Or perhaps she was just overreacting. Either way, Ember didn't feel like telling her sister. She glanced up at Flame, and spoke quietly.

"I just need some rest, that's all. If I sleep, I'll be better." She slowly walked down the hall, and out of Flame's view. The bright red dragoness stood rigid, standing in place. She feared for he sister's well-being. She bit her lip, and tried to make up her mind what to do. Then she got it. Why hadn't she thought of it before? She was going to go see Master Fyrus.

Meanwhile, in her room, Ember fell over into her heaps of gold. She pulled her blanket over her, silently sobbing. She tilted her head and looked over at the small purple dragon on her table. Hesitantly, she reached for it. Cradling it in her front paws; she ran her claws over it gently, watching it gleam in the light. Then, she noticed something peculiar about it, something she never noticed before. The Fury gem it was made of seemed to have a white, swirling substance inside. She shook it curiously, and it vanished. It must have been a trick of the eye. She gently set it back down on the table, and sat back down. Her mind was now off of the subject of Spyro. She was still wondering what had happened when she was looking at the gem. She laid down, thinking of what it might be.

Flame walked into Master Fyrus' study. She glanced around, looking for the orange dragon. She called his name a few times, but never got an answer. With a huff, Flame started to leave, disappointed. As she was walking out the door, not watching where she was going, she smacked into somebody. Quickly coming to her senses, the dragoness yelped,

"Oh! Sorry Master Fyrus... I... I was just looking for you!" The dragoness glanced up at the lean male fire dragon. She backed up a bit, when he spoke in a calm, soothing voice.

"It's alright, Flame. I can hardly blame you. I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking. Now, why did you come looking for me?" Flame looked at him, still slightly embarrassed.

"Well… I know you can use the vision pool. I was wondering if you could help me with my sister, Ember. I have the feeling something bad might happen to her…" The male dragon nodded. Without a word, he motioned for Flame to follow him. They walked through his study, and to the relocated vision pool Master Ignitus used to use. Flame remained deathly silent as the fire dragon stared into the depths of the pool, searching for answers. He suddenly stopped and looked up at Flame, a worried expression on his face. She knew it then and there. She had no desire to know what might happen.


End file.
